secretoslp

Smoky flavor from the cumin, a nice background flavor from the garlic and just a wee bit of heat from the dried chilies made this dish a little "out of the everyday". I have to say this was an experiment with using a left-over ham bone to make stock then using red lentils - a lentil variety which I have never used before. What I ended up with is a super left-over make-over meal that I am completely and utterly thrilled about! Perhaps some of you are looking at the photograph and thinking baby food - well yes it kind of does look a little like toddler food, however these soft lentils along with the cast of ingredients in this stew come together beautifully and taste really delicious. Even my non-eating lentil husband said it had great flavor so that's saying a lot. Read more »

Savory and succulent, this is one of the most flavorful chicken dishes I have ever eaten ~ seriously, the best! I have had Chicken Marsala in restaurants and made it at home many times using boneless, skinless thin chicken cutlets. While I have enjoyed it that way for years I think this version is undoubtedly the most flavorful and I plan on making this my go to chicken Marsala recipe from here on out because it is that good. In fact I have another package of chicken thighs in the freezer and can't wait until I make it again. Read more »

In about 25 minutes from start to finish (prep included) you can serve up a delicious side dish of Mushroom Rice And Roni to accompany most any protein. Have I told you how much I miss cooking for more than just my husband and me? It's difficult to cut back when you are so geared toward cooking for a family and suddenly so it seems, your kids are all grown up and living lives of their own. When my kids were here and both of us held down full-time jobs, getting dinner on the table every night in a reasonable amount of time was often quite the ordeal. So way back when the boxed variety of rice and roni was a great help to me in the kitchen. Who can resist something that's ready in 15 minutes, right? But these days, I am older and have to be careful of my sodium intake, so I've had to say goodbye to the boxed variety. Read more »

In less than 20 minutes a colorful side dish will make it's way to your dinner table. In less than 20 minutes you can have this beautiful and delicious and super quick side dish ready for your family. Zucchini still manages to be one of the least expensive vegetables in the market today. It cooks quickly and is a blank canvas for you to work with by adding a few spices and like this dish, some Parmesan cheese. The tomatoes add another texture and flavor as well as making this side dish a bit more bright and colorful. After all, we do eat with our eyes. Read more »

Fresh Strawberries with very little sugar added, cooked and mashed becomes a wonderful breakfast spread. The simple fact is I love, love breakfast but not early in the morning. In order for me to eat correctly I have to eat a little something to fuel my furnace. With some on sale strawberries that were GORGEOUS, I decided to make a quick sort of jam and ended up calling it Fresh Strawberry Morning Spread. Read more »

Are you ready for some football? One of the reasons we survive the winter is because of sports - football for many. For me it's basketball, women's basketball specifically. However I get a lot of enjoyment over the hype of year end football playoffs to see what teams will ultimately make it to the Super Bowl. That day when you have one game only to take home the prize. And quite honestly I love, love the Budweiser Clydesdale commercials they do every year and I look forward to game day snacking. Whose with me on this? Read more »

Starting the year off with a two ingredient smoothie ~ a path to better health and weight loss. It's a brand new year and a time to start looking at a personal weight loss goal. One of the things I have never liked since childhood was to eat first thing in the morning, so for me this is going to present a huge obstacle to overcome. The way I am gracefully edging in a breakfast routine is to make smoothies. Read more »

Bacon and chive team up with hard cooked yolks for some outrageously good deviled eggs! The big game is coming up and you don't want to be short on delicious snacks. Deviled Eggs are always a huge hit at any gathering. We make a pretty good one however since I had some fresh chives and bacon I decided to use those ingredients in the recipe. Read more »

New Year's Eve dinner ~ lobster, zucchini saute and these fabulously delicious Twice Baked Potatoes Before I begin my journey in 2016 to loose weight, one last splurge of 2015 was in order. I got three lobsters at my local grocery store, some baking potatoes and some zucchini. The entire dinner cost just $31.85, feeding two for $15.92. We thought that a fair and albeit frugal price for a special dinner. It was as good as eating out at any good restaurant! Read more »